High-speed rail has been dogged by cost overruns, construction delays and political fights since 1996, when California ...

Project leaders have been focused on completing the 171-mile Bakersfield to Merced line, which was expected to cost taxpayers an estimated $35.3 billion with a completion date sometime between ...

A federal probe by the Trump Administration determined the California High Speed Rail Authority in default on terms of two ...

Currently, 119 miles of the 171-mile Merced-to-Bakersfield segment are under construction. Passenger service between Merced and Bakersfield is projected to start between 2030 and 2033.

It’s 2025 and the Merced-to-Bakersfield section has not been completed. That one segment would cost more than the original project total, the Department of Transportation says.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) is applying for a $67 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration to improve highway/rail grade crossings in Shafter, Calif. CHSRA on Oct.

The latest estimates of construction costs for the Valley route between Merced and Bakersfield range from $32.1 billion to $35.3 billion. Advertisement. About Our Ads; Solve the daily Crossword.

Duffy also noted that if Californians really want a fast train from L.A. to San Francisco (the original plan) or Merced to Bakersfield (the placeholder scheme) they can have it.

As of 2025, only part of the first segment — a 171-mile stretch from Merced to Bakersfield — has been built. That section is now slated for completion between 2030 and 2033, and it alone is ...

Consultants have now been informed and documents obtained by KCRA 3 show the Bakersfield to Merced project estimate could now grow by up to another $3.2 billion, reaching a total of $38.5 billion.